Informal Meeting of Youth Ministers 29–31 March 2006

Bill Rammell: Simon Foster, European Union Division, DWP/DfES Joint International Unit and Suzanne Chisholm, Youth Policy Officer, Welsh Assembly Government represented the UK during the informal meeting of EU Youth Ministers in Bad Ischl.
	The ministerial meeting ran alongside a youth event which started in Vienna on 27 March with the young people moving to Bad Ischl on 29 March to join the ministerial delegations for joint seminars and social events. The UK sent a delegation of young people representing the different nations.
	It was acknowledged that a start has been made on implementing the objectives of the European Youth Pact, primarily under the employment guidelines and the European strategy for social inclusion, ensuring that the concerns of young people were incorporated into other policy areas. However, the European Council emphasized in its spring meeting 2006 that further progress is needed regarding the implementation of the European Pact for Youth. The emphasis of this conference was on what concrete action could be taken to make sure that vision became reality.
	In the morning session, European Youth Ministers discussed issues of information, participation in democratic life and active participation of youth at local, national and European levels. There was an exchange of views on strategies for an improved implementation of youth policy objectives under the White Paper "A New Impetus for European Youth", under the European Youth Pact, and within the open method of coordination.
	The Youth Ministers agreed that young people's voices must be heard at all levels with all stakeholders involved. There was considerable discussion on how to reach those young people who are currently disengaged from the political sphere or not part of a formal organisation. The UK gave examples of good practice at local level using local initiatives and at national level through the diverse representation on the Children and Youth Board set up to advise the Minister for Children, Young People and Families and officials in the Department on policy development.
	The European Youth Pact emphasises that young people and youth organisations must be involved in European and national policy design in such key areas as employment, education, social inclusion and reconciliation of work and life. Active participation requires proper access to quality information at all levels. The European Youth Portal and the national youth portals were seen as well-suited for the provision of youth-related information by many delegations.
	Joint working groups, with reports jointly presented by one minister and one young person, were formed in the afternoon to discuss the topics of :
	Youth and jobs;
	value and significance of informal and non-formal learning;
	the future of youth in Europe to the final plenary session.
	The participating youth representatives adopted a special Youth Declaration that was welcomed by the Ministers.
	To continue the participatory dialogue at EU level, the presidency has submitted a proposal for creating an informal forum composed of the current EU presidency, the two subsequent presidencies, the European Commission and the European Youth Forum. This informal dialogue-based forum should meet regularly, in particular before the Education, Youth and Culture Council in autumn and in spring in Brussels to promote an exchange of views and ideas between young people and the presidency.

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